The Hunchback of Echo Creek
by belleoftheopera
Summary: After Star watches Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time, she finds herself, along with Tom and Marco, sucked into the story. When Tom presents himself as a major threat to Star and Marco, they have to figure out how to defeat him without access to her wand. One-shot. Please r & r.


"Hey Star!" Marco called from the living room. "It's the first Saturday of the month. You know what that means?"

"Movie night! Movie night! Movie night!" Star chanted excitedly as she rushed down the stairs.

"I figured I'd let you pick the movie."

Star looked through the collection of DVDs before her when she saw one that captured her interest. "Hunchback of Notre Dame," she read, pulling out the DVD. "This one looks interesting. What's it about?"

"Oh, that's a great one! It's about this deformed hunchback who lives in the bell tower of an old cathedral who falls in love with a beautiful gypsy girl."

"Oooh, let's watch!" she exclaimed as she handed him the DVD to put into the player. "So is he like a monster from a different dimension or cursed or something?" she asked as she sat down on the couch.

"Nope. He was just born like that. But everyone hates him because of his appearance even though he's a good person."

"Hm, I've seen worse," she said while looking at the cover.

"True, but you're from a world where monsters are a normal thing. In this world, unless you're good looking enough to fit in, you're usually considered an outcast."

"Well that's stupid."

Once the movie started, not a single word was uttered between them as their full attention was focused on the movie.

"So what did you think?" Marco asked once it ended.

"I really liked it! Poor Quasimodo though. If I were there, I would just run up to him and give him a big hug and make him feel loved. He didn't deserve to be mistreated by everyone like that. And Frollo, ugh, he gave me the creeps. There was something about him, I don't know what exactly, that made me feel extremely uncomfortable."

"Maybe it was the fact that he was obsessed with a girl more than half his age and was willing to burn down the city if she didn't agree to be his."

"Maybe… Oh well. Anyways that was fun! Good night Marco!" The two parted ways as they went into their separate bedrooms. Star put on her nightgown and tucked herself into bed for the night.

When Star awoke, she found herself standing in front of a giant door. She looked down to see that she was no longer in her nightgown but wearing Esmeralda's outfit from the movie. Huh, this is weird, she thought, I never dress like this. She made her way inside, finding herself in what looked like to be the interior of Notre Dame. She looked around in awe at the architecture around her when all of a sudden she felt two hands grab her from behind. She struggled to escape the grip of her captor. "Hello Star," a familiar voice said.

Star gasped. "Tom? Is that you?"

He pulled her in closer to him so that their bodies were now touching. "You know it babe." He then proceeded to sniff her hair, rubbing his face against it.

"What are you doing?" she asked, creeped out by what was happening.

"I was just imagining what it would be like if we got back together." He let go one of his hands so that he could wrap it around and start caressing her neck. "Let's see how far we can get our relationship to go now that you're another year older, if you know what I mean."

Since he had let go of one of his hands off of her, it was easier for Star to finally break away from him. "Oh my god Tom, that's sick! I'm only fourteen!" She was finally able to look him in the face, seeing that he was dressed exactly like Frollo.

"Yeah, so? I'm only seventeen, so it's not like I'm a pedophile or anything."

She let out a sigh of exasperation. "Tom, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't love you anymore and that we're never, EVER, getting back together. I don't care what your feelings are for me, but if you really loved me as much as you claim you do, then you would respect my feelings for you."

"Yeah, see Star? I can't really accept that. Just the thought of you being with anyone else really pisses me off so much that I would go so far as to burn an entire city to the ground if it meant that I couldn't have you."

Star slowly went from angry to scared. "You would really do that?"

"Yes, that's how badly I want you. And now that I have you in my trap I'm never, EVER," his eyes turned red as he burst into flames before retreating back to normal, "letting you go again."

"What do you mean 'letting me go?' I'm the one who left you!"

"Not this time sweet cheeks." He turned around to leave. "You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison none the less. Step one foot outside and you're mine." He closed the door, locking her in.

"Oh yeah, well we'll see about that!" she exclaimed as she tried to reach for her wand. "Wait, what?" she asked, freaking out that she didn't have her wand on her. "Oh come on, you've gotta be kidding me!"

She ran to one of the back doors to try and escape when she opened it to see Tom's minions outside. "Tom's orders, post a guard at every door."

She slammed the door and slid down, resting her back against it. "I've got to get out of here. But how?" Just then she heard the sound of a candlestick being knocked to the ground. "What the…?" She looked up to see a figure in the distance, but before she could get a good look it started to run away. "Wait!" she called out as she stood up, beginning to chase after it. "I want to talk to you!" She chased it up a circular flight of stairs and through the bell tower until they reached the top balcony. As she got closer, she could see that this person had a huge hump on his back as he hobbled away from her. Could it be Quasimodo? She thought. Does this mean that he's real and I could give him that hug that he deserves? But as she got closer she noticed that his hair was brown instead of red. Wait a minute… She placed her hand on his shoulder, turning him around. Both of them screamed when they got a look at each other. "Marco?!" she asked in shock. "What the heck happened to you?"

"I don't know. Last thing I remember was going to bed and I somehow found myself here looking like this." He looked exactly like Quasimodo, with the big, broad nose, the big teeth, and the huge bulge over his left eye. But it was still undeniably Marco, with his tan skin, dark brown hair and eyes, and the mole just under his right eye.

"I guess this means that I should call you Quasi-Marco!" she joked, her face lighting up.

Marco looked unimpressed. "Please don't do that."

"Okay, fine."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Tom locked me up in here."

"Tom's here?" he asked, raising his voice.

"Yup. He even has guards surrounding the place."

"Why didn't you just blast them all with your wand?"

"Because I don't have it with me. And it's not like I can just leave to go get it." Star rested her head into her hands as her elbows leaned on the balcony.

"What if there was a different way out."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Who says that we need to use a door?"

Star's eyebrows lifted in concern. "You mean climb down?"

"Sure. I'll carry you."

"Are you sure about this?" she asked apprehensively.

"Of course. Don't worry, we'll be safe."

Star let out a sigh of defeat. "Sure, what the heck. What other choice do we really have?"

She gasped as he lifted her up in his now massive arms. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid." Marco jumped over the edge; the only thing keeping them from falling was him holding on to the balcony with his free hand. "Now I'm afraid."

"The trick is not to look down." He continued making his way down the cathedral until a piece of the ceiling slid beneath them, causing them to slide down. He grabbed on just in time for the metal sheet to fly off the building, capturing the attention of some of the guards so they could continue their way down. Once they were finally low enough, they sat down at the edge of a statue. "Told you I could do it," Marco said with a cocky smile, folding his arms.

"You were right. Scary as that was it was totally worth it. Now come on."

She was about to jump off and grab the rope hanging before them to slide down when Marco placed his hand on her shoulder. "Whoa, hold up." She stopped and turned to look at him. "I can't go home looking like this," he said gesturing to himself.

"So what do you want to do then?"

"I'll stay here. You go home and get the wand and come back to change me back to normal."

"Sounds easy enough. I just wish I knew where to go."

"I'm sure you'll find your way." To her shock, he pulled her in to a hug.

"Thanks Marco," she said once they pulled away. She leaned in, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she left and ran home.

Once she was far enough away she stopped running. The more she continued walking the more she noticed the scenery around her changing. Right before her eyes in a seamless transition, the streets of 15th century Paris changed into that of modern day Echo Creek as everything began to look familiar to her again. Finally when she saw the Diaz house coming up in the distance she let out a sigh of relief. She was so tired that all she wanted to do was immediately go to sleep, as it was late at night, but she had promised Marco that she would return as soon as she could.

As she made her way inside the house, she saw that there were no lights on. "Hello? Is anyone home?" she called out. She figured they were both asleep, but it was still uncomfortable nonetheless.

She made her way up the stairs to her room, feeling like everything was too quiet. When she opened the door and turned on the light, she gasped. "Looking for this?"

"Tom! What are you doing here?"

Sitting in her room, holding her wand was none other than Tom, still in the black robe and hat from earlier. "I knew that Marco was going to help you escape and that you'd come back here for your wand. But the thing is that I said that if you left the cathedral, then you're mine."

"Forget it Tom! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't love you anymore and that there's nothing you can do that'll change my mind? I don't care what you do to me, I will never be yours again!"

He narrowed his eyes angrily. "Challenge accepted," he said in a quiet, menacing voice. His eyes turned red as he summoned flames around him, using them to trap Star.

"What are you doing?" she cried as she tried to fight of the fire closing in on her.

"If I can't have you, then nobody can." As the flames engulfed her she passed out.

When she awoke, she was back outside the cathedral, only this time she was tied to a stake on a platform. She looked down to see that she was no longer in her gypsy clothes but a white dress with various tears and a piece of rope for a belt. Tom's monsters were still there, only now they were throwing bundles of hay to her feet. She tried to struggle out of the grip, but the rope was too strong, her hands tied around the stake and her legs bound together. She looked up at the cathedral to see that Marco was tied up as well in the bell tower, only he was bound by chains. "Marco, no," she whispered.

She faced forward to see that Tom was standing before her holding a torch. "The time has come Star. You stand upon the brink of the abyss, yet even now it is not too late." He leaned in towards her, causing her to cower away as much as possible while his face was almost practically against hers. "I can save you from the flames of this world and the next. Choose me, or the fire." Star spit onto his face, glaring at him in anger as he backed away, looking at her in disgust and betrayal. "So be it." He lowered the torch, lighting the hay around her on fire.

She wanted so badly to scream for help, but the smoke was filling her lungs to quickly. Before she knew it, she felt her consciousness fading again. Only this time, before she was completely out, she felt a familiar arm around her waist, holding her to prevent her from falling as the ropes that bound her loosened. Her rescuer carried her off as he grabbed a rope and swung to the cathedral and climbed the walls. Once they reached the balcony, he lifted her up above him, shouting "Sanctuary!" three times before carrying her inside. When he laid her down on the bed, she barely opened her eyes to see Marco before she closed them again. "Don't worry, you'll be safe here." He ran off to fight Tom and his monsters from getting her.

After an epic battle, Marco burst through the door. "We've done it Star, we've beaten them back! Come and see!" He turned around to notice that Star was lying there completely unconscious. He closed the door as he approached her. "Star, wake up. You're safe now." He caressed her lifeless face. "Star?" He reached back to stroke her hair, noticing that she didn't move. "Oh no." He grabbed a spoon and filled it with water, carefully carrying it to her as not to spill. He gently lifted her head up as he poured the water over her mouth, trickling down her chin. He dropped the spoon in shock as tears began to fill his eyes. "Oh no." He held her hand around his, holding it to his face, before he let go. He broke down crying as he wrapped his arms around her, with one hand holding her head while the other wrapped around her back, slowly rocking her before gently laying her down and holding her hands. In his state of grief, he hadn't noticed the door opening behind him. It wasn't until he felt a hand placed on his hump that he acknowledged the new person in the room. "You killed her," he whispered angrily.

"I had to," Tom replied. "She refused me, so she had to die. You do know this is all your fault, don't you Marco? If you hadn't crashed the Blood Moon Ball and stolen her from me, none of this wouldn't have happened. Since it's so obvious that you love her too, I'll do you a favor to help you reunite with her forever." He looked up to see Tom's shadow holding up a knife above him. When he turned to face his attacker, Tom was about to plunge the knife into him, but he managed to stop him by grabbing his arm and pushing him away, pushing him back against the wall and knocking him down as he grabbed the knife.

"Marco?" a groggy voice moaned behind him. He turned around to see that Star had awoken.

"Star!" He hobbled over to her to pick her up.

"She lives," Tom said angrily, his eyes turning red as he began to flame up.

"No!" He ran out of the room to get her away from Tom, but he followed.

He looked over the balcony to see Marco hanging from a gargoyle while holding on to Star. "Leaving so soon?" He launched a fireball at them, but Marco managed to dodge it.

"Hang on!" He continued to dodge Tom's fireballs by climbing across the threshold. Once they were far enough away, he helped her onto the balcony as he climbed up. Just as Tom was about to attack her directly, Marco pushed her out of the way. When he wasn't looking, Tom swung his cape around Marco's head, knocking him off the balcony. He managed to grab on, pulling the cape and Tom down along with him.

Star reached over the balcony grabbing Marco's hand to try and pull him up, but he was too heavy. Tom swung from the cape and grabbed a gargoyle to pull himself up on. "Hold on," Star pleaded as she struggled to hold him, his wrist beginning to slip through her hands. "Hold on."

Tom stood on top of the gargoyle as he loaded another fireball at Star while she looked at him in fear. "Prepare to say goodbye Star!" But before he could make his attack, the gargoyle crumbled beneath him, causing him to loose his balance and fall, grabbing onto it for dear life. When it broke off completely, it sent Tom falling down into a fiery inferno that lead back to the Underworld. "You haven't seen the last of me!" he shouted as he plummeted to the ground.

"Come on Marco!" she begged, but it was too late. She lost her grip on him, causing him to fall. "NO!" she shouted, reaching out before her.

As she continued to cry out, she jerked awake to see that was no longer on the balcony of Notre Dame but in her bed. She breathed heavily as she took in her surroundings to see that it was the middle of the night and that she was still in her nightgown. "Marco!" she shouted out. She threw the covers off and ran to his room, bursting through the door to see that he was fast asleep. Oh thank god, she thought, he looks completely normal! She began to shake him awake. "Marco, wake up!"

"Star?" he said groggily as he slowly woke up. When he noticed how distressed she looked, he immediately perked awake. "Star, what's wrong?"

"I had this dream about the movie we watched tonight, except I was Esmeralda, Tom was Frollo, and you were Quasimodo!"

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, and Tom locked me up but you helped me escape, only for him to capture me again and almost kill me, and you almost died and…" She wrapped his arms around him, pulling herself close to him. "It all felt so real. I actually thought that I had lost you."

He pulled away from the hug, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry Star, you'll never lose me." He broke away from her. "Although it's actually kind of creepy that you would dream that."

"Really? How come?"

"Because I just had a dream about being Quasimodo during the movie."

Star's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "Oh my god, really?"

"Yeah, except it was the scene during the Festival of Fools when he's tied to the wheel and everyone is torturing him right before Esmeralda comes to help him."

"Was I Esmeralda?" Star asked flirtatiously jokingly, secretly hoping that she was.

"Nope. Jackie Lynn Thomas was."

This resulted in both of them awkwardly staring at each other for an uncomfortably long moment. "Oh."

"Yeah…"

"Well, good night." Star uncomfortably made her way back to bed.

"Good night."


End file.
